Bottle closure

ABSTRACT

A bottle closure is disclosed to include a muzzle fastened to and covered on the bottle neck of a bottle, a cap hinged to the periphery of the muzzle for closing on the muzzle to seal the bottle neck of the bottle, the cap having an operating structure for gripping by the user&#39;s hand to turn the cap relative to the muzzle between a close position and an open position, and a seal tearably connected to the muzzle to seal the operating structure of the cap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a bottle closure for closing the bottleneck of a bottle and more particularly, to such a bottle closure, whichwill not be opened accidentally when fastened to the bottle neck of abottle.

2. Description of the Related Art

Various liquid products, fore example, shampoo, face lotion, liquidcosmetics, etc. are sold in bottle. A bottle for this purpose, as shownin FIG. 9, comprises a bottle body 90, and a bottle closure formed of amuzzle 91 and a cap 93 and fastened to the bottleneck of the bottle body90. The muzzle 91 has a spout 92 at the top. The cap 93 is hinged to theperiphery of the muzzle 91, having a plug 94 for sealing the spout 92.According to this design, the cap 93 can easily be opened from themuzzle 91. When the compressible bottle body 90 is compressed or whenthe bottle falls to the ground, the cap 93 may be opened accidentally,thereby resulting in a contamination. Further, consumers may try to openbottled liquid products in a show rack to smell the liquid content or topour a small amount of the liquid content for test. Once a bottle liquidproduct is opened before sale, no body would like to buy it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances inview. It is one object of the present invention to provide a bottleclosure, which prohibits people from opening the bottled product freelybefore sale, maintaining the quality of the bottled product andpreventing contamination. It is another object of the present inventionto provide a bottle closure, which enables the consumer to determine theintact of the bottled product from the outer appearance. To achievethese and other objects of the present invention, the bottle closurecomprises a muzzle connectable to the bottle neck of a bottle; a caphinged to the periphery of the muzzle for closing on the muzzle to sealthe bottle neck of the bottle to which the muzzle is fastened, the capcomprising an operating structure for gripping by the user's hand toturn the cap relative to the muzzle between a close position and an openposition; and a seal tearably connected to the muzzle to seal theoperating structure of the cap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a bottle closure according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is another elevational view of the bottle closure according tothe present invention.

FIG. 3 is still another elevational view of the bottle closure accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation of the bottle closure according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates the seal separated from the muzzle of the bottleclosure according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of the present invention afterremoval of the seal.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view showing the cap opened from the muzzleafter removal of the seal according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the cap opened from the muzzle afterremoval of the seal according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an opened view of a bottle closure according to the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1˜4, a bottle closure in accordance with the presentinvention is shown comprising a muzzle 10, a cap 20, and a seal 30.

The muzzle 10 comprises an inner shell 11, a bottom open chamber 111defined within the inner shell 11 and adapted to receive the bottle neck101 of a bottle 100, an engagement portion 112 formed integral with theinner shell 11 within the bottom open chamber 111 and adapted to securethe inner shell 11 to the bottle neck 101 of the bottle 100, an outershell 12 jointed to and covered over the inner shell 11, a flat circulartop protrusion 14 raised from the top side of the outer shell 12, a topspout 13 vertically disposed at the center of the flat circular topprotrusion 14 in fluid communication with the bottom open chamber 111,two bevels 151 formed in the vertical peripheral wall of the flatcircular top protrusion 14, and a recessed portion 15 formed in thevertical peripheral wall of the flat circular top protrusion 14 andconnected between the two bevels 151. The top spout 13 is preferablymade having an inner diameter gradually increased from the inside of themuzzle 10 toward the outside so that fluid can conveniently be pouredout of the bottle 100 through the top spout 13. The engagement portion112 can be an inner/outer thread or annular protrusion subject to thestructure design of the bottleneck 101 of the bottle 100.

The cap 20 comprises a hinge 21 connected to the peripheral wall of theouter shell 12 of the muzzle 10, a cylindrical plug 22 perpendicularlydownwardly extended from the center of the bottom wall for plugging intothe top spout 13 to seal the passage, a vertical peripheral wall 23fitting over the flat circular top protrusion 14 of the muzzle 10, andan operating structure 24 for operation by the user to open the cap 20from the muzzle 10. The operating structure 24 comprises two bevels 244formed in the vertical peripheral wall 23 of the cap 20, a recessedportion 241 formed in the vertical peripheral wall 23 of the cap 20 andconnected between the two bevels 244, a retaining block 242 protrudedfrom the recessed portion 241 and a pull 243 formed integral with theperipheral wall 23 at the top side of the recessed portion 241.

The seal 30 fits the recessed portion 15 of the muzzle 10 and therecessed portion 241 of the cap 20, comprising a seal body 32, a fingerstrip 31 extended from one end of the seal body 32, two bevels 311 and321 respectively formed in the distal end of the seal body 32 and thedistal end of the finger strip 31 corresponding to the bevels 151 of themuzzle 10 and the bevels 244 of the cap 20, a retaining notch 322 formedin the seal body 32 and adapted to receive the retaining block 242 ofthe cap 20, and a thin serrated (or perforated) connecting portion 323connected between the seal body 32 and the periphery of the muzzle 10.

Referring to FIGS. 1˜3 again, the seal 30 is connected to the muzzle 10by the connecting portion 323 corresponding to the recessed portion 15of the muzzle 10, and a gap 15A is left between the seal 30 and therecessed portion 15 of the muzzle 10.

After installation of the bottle closure the bottle neck of a bottle100, the cap 10 is closed on the muzzle 10 to insert the operatingstructure 24 into the gap 15A between the seal 30 and the recessedportion 15 of the muzzle 10 and to further engage the retaining block242 of the cap 20 into the retaining notch 322 of the seal body 32 ofthe seal 30, and therefore cap 20 is locked to the muzzle 10 (see FIG.4). When wishing to open the bottle 100, pull the finger strip 311 tobreak the serrated (or perforated) connecting portion 323 and to furtherremove the seal 30 from the muzzle 10. After removal of the seal 30 fromthe muzzle 10, the operating structure 23 is exposed to the outside (seeFIG. 5), and the user can pull the pull 243 to open the cap 20 from themuzzle 10 (see FIGS. 6˜8) and then pour the contained matter out of thebottle 100.

A prototype of bottle closure has been constructed with the features ofFIGS. 1˜8. The piezo-transformer carrier functions smoothly to provideall of the features discussed earlier.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described indetail for purposes of illustration, various modifications andenhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. For example, the seal body can be made having a retainingblock, and the cap can be made having a retaining notch for receivingthe retaining block of the seal body; the seal can be made having oneend fixedly connected to the muzzle and a bottom side tearably connectedto the muzzle. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except asby the appended claims.

1. A bottle closure comprising: a muzzle connectable to the bottleneckof a bottle; a cap hinged to the periphery of said muzzle for closing onsaid muzzle to seal the bottle neck of the bottle to which said muzzleis fastened, said cap comprising an operating structure for gripping bythe user's hand to turn said cap relative to said muzzle between a closeposition and an open position; and a seal tearably connected to saidmuzzle to seal said operating structure of said cap.
 2. The bottleclosure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said muzzle has a spout at a topside thereof.
 3. The bottle closure as claimed in claim 2, wherein saidcap comprises a downwardly suspended bottom plug adapted to seal saidspout of said muzzle.
 4. The bottle closure as claimed in claim 1,wherein said muzzle comprises a flat circular top protrusion, and arecessed portion formed in the periphery of said flat circular topprotrusion.
 5. The bottle closure as claimed in claim 4, wherein saidcap comprises a vertical peripheral wall fitting over the periphery ofsaid flat circular top protrusion of said muzzle.
 6. The bottle closureas claimed in claim 1, wherein said operating structure of said capcomprises a recessed portion adapted to receive said seal.
 7. The bottleclosure as claimed in claim 6, wherein said seal has a bevel at one endthereof corresponding to one end of the recessed portion of saidoperating structure.
 8. The bottle closure as claimed in claim 6,wherein said operating structure of said cap comprises a retaining blockprotruded from the recessed portion thereof for engaging said seal. 9.The bottle closure as claimed in claim 8, wherein said seal comprises aretaining notch adapted to receive the retaining block of said operatingstructure of said cap.
 10. The bottle closure as claimed in claim 6,wherein said operating structure of said cap comprises two bevels at twoends of the recessed portion thereof.
 11. The bottle closure as claimedin claim 1, wherein said seal comprises a seal body tearably connectedto the periphery of said muzzle, and a finger strip extended from oneend of said seal body.
 12. The bottle closure as claimed in claim 1,wherein said seal comprises a thin connecting portion tearably connectedto the periphery of said muzzle.
 13. The bottle closure as claimed inclaim 12, wherein said thin connecting portion is serrated.
 14. Thebottle closure as claimed in claim 12, wherein said thin connectingportion is perforated.